Nourish Plus Nature: Impacting the Double Child Development Burden in the First 1000 Days

Mary Hearst, Ph.D. in Epidemiology, Program Director for Master of Public Health & Associate Professor was awarded $15,000 by the GHR Innovative Scholarships to conduct a formative assessment to prepare a grant submission to optimize child development in Indonesia. Early childhood development is not a luxury but is critical to improving longer term child outcomes. Optimizing healthy development among children ages 0-5 is key for individual, family and community health and development. Key factors for optimal child development and life-long well-being include adequate nutrition and an environment that supports optimal development. Inadequate nutrition impedes physical growth, and early malnutrition can effect brain function, cognitive ability and behavior. The goal of the project is to improve ‘nutrition’ and ‘nurture’ among children ages 0-5 and their mothers in Indonesia. This long term project offers the opportunity to expand a well-designed and effective nutrition-oriented intervention in a LMIC and test the additive or multiplicative impact of the Care for Children Development Model

Using Community-based Interventions to Reduce Public Stigma of Children with Disabilities: A Feasibility Study

Background: Public stigma, or negative community-held beliefs, about children with disabilities (CWDs) often leads to negative outcomes for CWD and their families. This study considers the effectiveness of four community-level interventions to reduce public stigma in two Lusaka, Zambia communities. Methods: This feasibility study describes four community-based interventions to provide education to consider whether perceptions of attitudes and stigma towards CWD changed after implementing four educational interventions. Results: Results revealed that these interventions were achievable. Preliminary multiple regression analyses indicated a significant impact of attending an event on the attitude scale, while no effect on the stigma scale. Presence at multiple anti-stigma events exhibited no effect for the stigma scale, while the attitude scale showed significance. Discussion: This study builds on the limited research available in low-income countries to reduce public stigma towards CWD, with the hope of enhance quality of life for CWD and their families

Development and Evaluation of an Interprofessional Community Health Course in Zambia

Persistent global health inequities and workforce shortage require innovative strategies to prepare professionals for teamwork in a global context. Over two years, students (n = 33) from education, nursing, occupational therapy, public health, and physical therapy participated in a course in Zambia that emphasized interprofessional collaborative practice (IPP), cultural fluency, and understanding ecological approaches to health. Faculty measured the learning outcomes of the course using the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Competency Self-Assessment Tool (pre and posttest), and a focus group to gain a deeper understanding of the student experience and course effectiveness. The Beliefs, Events and Values Inventory (BEVI) was used post trip to determine feasibility of distribution and response of the tool via e-mail. These preliminary results suggested that students developed skills and knowledge related to IPP, cultural fluency, and ecological approaches to health. Specifically, students acknowledged growth in their ability to communicate more effectively with other health professions, and ability to evaluate personal assumptions and biases toward health, healthcare, and cultural practices. The method of developing this course could be a model for other institutions wanting to grow IPP experiences for their students